Expansible loose-sheet holder



Aug. 28, 1928. 1,682,667

' J. EIFEL EXPANSIBLHLOOSE SHEET HOLDER Filed Sept. 1, 1921 PatentedAug. 28, 1928.

' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

Application fled September My present invention relates'to filing aliances, and more particularly to expansib e oose sheet holders of thetype adapted to hold papers in a substantially vertical osition betweena series of filing leaves t 0 distance between which may be varied asdesired.

The principal objects of my present invention are the provision of aloose sheet holder having a series of leaves between which papers may beinserted, the provision of means whereby the file may be extended orcontracted at will; the provision of im roved means for reventing papersslipping own between the 0 leaves; the rovision of means forfacilitating the insertion of papers between the file leaves; and theprovision of improved means for supporting such a file.

In attainin these and other objects and advanta to e hereinafter setforth, I have provide a construction, one embodiment of which isillustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a plan view of the filing appliance;

Figure 2 is a side elevation of the same;

Figure 3 is a vertical section on the line 33 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a vertical section through one of the file supportingmembers;

Fi re 5 is a artial side view showing a modi ed form 0 construction;

Figure 6 is a partial side view showin a further modified form ofconstruction; an

Figure 7 is a detail view showing the slidin connections between one ofthe file leaves an the expansible-d'evice.

The filing appliance comprises a series of upwardly pro ecting leaves 1,of sheet metal or other suitable material supported by a lazy-ton devicearranged underneath the file leaves. 0 use of lazy-ton is advantageousas it gives a substantially n "d and inflexible support for the fileleaves w ile allowing the distance between the file leaves to beincreased or decreased simultaneously and also proportionately. Thelazy-tong device consists of a plurality of links2 each pivotallyconnected at four points to four other links of the lazy-tong device, asshown in Figure 1. Two sets of these pivots 4 and 5 respectively areprovided with means for supporting the file leaves. For this ur ose thepivots 4 and 5 are made tubular 1n orm for the reception of pins 7having sliding frictional engagement therewith shown more particularly1, 1821. Serial No. 497,809.

in Figure 4. The upper part of these pins 7 are slotted for thereception of the lower edges, 15, of the file leaves, 1, as shown moreparticularly in Figures 3 and 4. Since the prvots, 4 approach thepivots, 5, as the appliance is extended, it is necessary that one set ofpins, 7, have sliding engagement with the file leaves. In the form ofconstruction shown the links passing through the pivots, 4, have slidlngengagement with the file leaves b means of slots, 36, in the file leavesand rivets, 37, passm therethrough. The pins passlng throu h t e pivots,5, are rigidly connected' the le leaves, as shown in Figure 3. As thepins, 7, are detachable from the ivots, any one or more of the fileleaves may ie detached from the lazy-tong device if desired.

Certa n of the pivots 4 and 5 are also provided with rubber sleeves, 6,which act as supporting feet for the appliance.

The links of the lazy-ton are provided with extensions on one si edownwardly turned at then ends to receive tabs, 10, the

tips of which are curled upwardly and rearwardly as at 17 to formgripping means for cardllppgrgl or other strips on which may be mar econtents of that arti oflthe file. p cular part 11 or er to prevent paers sli in down between the file leaves and througli th spaces betweenthe links of the lazy-tong device, I have provided members, 11, onelongitudinal edge of which is provided with an upturned portion, 12,adapted to pass under and engage thelower edge of one file leaf, whilethe opposlte longitudinal edge, 13, points toward the face of theopposite file leaf, restin thereupon when the appliance is in part yopen position. In this connection it will be observed that the fileleaves are bent slightly about a line, 14, and that this line 14 isabove the point of contact of the edge '13 with the file leaf, theplanes of the two series of leaves thus intersecting. The object of thisis to prevent the papers getting between the edge 13 and the file leafwith which it is in contact. The relation just described will be clearfrom inspection of Figure 3.

This change in the plane of the leaf 1 is also of advantage in that itcauses the papers in the file to lie flat against the upper portion ofthe leaves and the lowermost edges of the papers to rest against theadjacent leaf, with the paper in a substantially strai ht line. Withoutthe provision of this ang e in the leaves, the papers would tend to sagnear the each file leaf adapted to rest against the middle,andtheir'lower edges to rest against various points along the base,thereby rendering the insertion of additional papers into the file moredifiicult.

The members, 11, are provided with apertures, 35, through which theextens ons, 7, pass so that these parts, 11, are lvotally mounted on theprojections 7. It as been found that the members, 11, move more readilyif pins, 20 are arranged to pass thropgh the pins, 7, underneath theupturned portions, 12, of these members.

In Figures 5 and 6 I have illustrated d1agrammaticallytwo modified formsof connecting members for preventing papers shpping down between thefile leaves and through the lazy-ton device. In Flgure 5 15 shown agusset 21 of eather or other suitable material connected along bothedges at 22 to the adjacent file leaves. In Figure 6 a resilient member,23', is used, connected along one edge only to one of the file leaves atthe oints 24. The opposite edge, 25, is held in contact with the oposite file leaf b the resiliency of the mem r, 23, which a ows the fileto be opened or closed without separating the edge 25 from its adjacentfile leaf.

In order to facilitate the insertion of the papers between the fileleaves, the lower corners, 16, of the file leaves are bent in the mannershown in Figure 2. v

Having thus described my invention and illustrated its use, what I claimas new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A filing appliance comprisin in combination a series of file leaves,mem ers movable relatively to said leaves, each having an upwardlyturned end adapted to pass under the edge of one file leaf and anopposite end adapted to rest against the adjacent file leaf and'therebyhold the contents of the file in lace.

p 2. A filing appliance comprising in combination a series of fileleaves, members each having an upwardly turned end adapted to pass underthe edge of one file leaf and an opposite end adapted to rest againstthe adjacent file leaf and thereby hold the contents of the file inplace, said file leaves being bent obliquely along lines above the ointsof contact of said last mentioned en s and the file leaves, whereby thecontents of the file are prevented from coming between the file leavesand said members.

3. In an expansible filing appliance comprising in combination, a seriesof substantially parallel file leaves, members pivotally mountedad'acent the lower edge of each file leaf adapte to rest against thelower part of the adjacent file leaf and thereby support the lower ed eof the contents of the file.

4av A ling appliance comprising in combination a series of file leaves,members pivotally mounted adjacent the lower edge of adjacent file leaf"and thereby hold the contents of the file in place, said file leavesbeing bent obliquely along lines above the points of contact of saidmembers and the file leaves whereby the contents of the file areprevented from coming between the file leaves and said members.

5. A filing device, comprising, in combination, a series of file leaves,a horizontally expansible device for supportin said leaves withoutchange in the vertica relation of said leaves, and pivotally mountedmembers interposed between said several leaves adapted to engage oneedge of one file leaf and to oint toward the lower e leaf and therebyhol p g qe g app lance, comprising, in combination, a series of fileleaves, a lazy-tong device arranged beneath said leaves, havingsubstantially vertical pivots and upwardly projecting ortions fromcertain of said pivots ada te to engage the lower portions of said eleaves, and members pivotally mounted on said projecting portionsinterposed between said several eaves adapted to engage one edge of onefile leaf and to point toward an adjacent file leaf and thereby hold thecontents of the file in place.

7. A filing appliance comprising, in combination, an expansible device,and a series of substantially vertical leaves carried thereby, saidexpansible device being adapted for iterated movement and to move saidleaves toward and away from each other without relative lateral movementor angular movement relative to the longitudinal axis of said expansibledevice, said leaves and expansible device being releasably connectedtogether frictionall whereby the number of divisions in the aplpu'xancemay be varied.

8. A g appliance, bination, a series of substantially vertical andparallel file leaves, an expansible device heneath said leaves, andconnections between said file leaves and said device, said file leavesbeing bent obliquely along lines above the points of engagement betweensaid file leaves and said. connections, so as to present leaf portionslying in two different planes.

9. A vertical filing appliance, comprising, 111 combination, asubstantially horizontal variably dimensioned base and a series ofsubstantially parallel vertical file leaves variably displaceable andarranged at an angle to said base, the several members of the serieshaving the plane of the upper portion bent at a sli ht angle to that ofthe lower portion.

10. vertical filing appliance, comprising, in combination, asubstantially horizontal base, a series of substantially parallel fileleaves arranged at an angle to said base, and independent memberspivotally mounted adj acent the lower edge of each file leaf adapted(part of an adjacent the contents of the comprising, in com- III to restagainst the lower part of the adjacent file leaf and thereby hold thecontents of the file in place.

11. In combination, a horizontally arranged variably dimensioned framecomposed of crossed pivoted links, a plurality of substantially verticalpartitions on said frame and variably positioned thereby, and

' a plurality of hinged sheet supporting elements arranged between saidpartitions near the lower ends thereof and angularly Variably supportedby said frame.

12. In combination, a horizontally arranged variably dimensioned framecomposed of crossed pivoted links, a plurality of substantially verticalpartitions on said frame and variably positioned thereby, and aplurality of angularly variable sheet supportin elements variablysupported by one of an arranged between adjacent to said partitions.

13. In combination, a horizontally arranged variably dimensioned framecomposed of crossed pivoted links, a plurality of substantially verticalpartitions on said frame and variably positioned thereby, and aplurality of angularly variably sheet supporting elements variablysupported by one of and arranged between adjacent to said par titions,said elements being characterized by resiliency accommodating forvariations in the dimensions of the device.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto signed my na'me.

JOSEPH EIFEL.

